Bracteantha plant named ‘KLEBB05354’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Bracteantha  plant named ‘KLEBB05354’, characterized by its upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and uniform plant habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; inflorescences with red-colored involucral bracts; and strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above the foliar plane.

Botanical designation: Bracteantha bracteata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘KLEBB05354’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Bracteantha plant, botanically known as Bracteantha bracteata, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘KLEBB05354’.

The new Bracteantha is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Stuttgart, Germany. The objective of the program is to create and develop new Bracteantha cultivars with uniformly mounded plant habit, early and freely flowering habit and attractive inflorescence coloration.

The new Bracteantha originated from an open-pollination by the Inventor in 2002 of a proprietary selection of Bracteantha bracteata identified as code number V 117, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Bracteantha bracteata as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Bracteantha was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany in 2003. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant habit, freely flowering habit and attractive inflorescences.

Asexual reproduction of the new Bracteantha by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany since 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Bracteantha are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar KLEBB05354 has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘KLEBB05354’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘KLEBB05354’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Bracteantha:

-   -   1. Upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and uniform plant         habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Inflorescences with red-colored involucral bracts.     -   5. Strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above the         foliar plane.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the new Bracteantha differed from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Bracteantha are less vigorous than plants         of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Bracteantha and the female parent selection         differ in involucral bract coloration as plants of the female         parent selection have orange-colored involucral bracts.

Plants of the new Bracteantha can be compared to plants of the Bracteantha cultivar Mohave Autumn Bronze, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the new Bracteantha differed from plants of the cultivar Mohave Autumn Bronze in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Bracteantha flowered earlier than plants of         the cultivar Mohave Autumn Bronze.     -   2. Plants of the new Bracteantha and the cultivar Mohave Autumn         Bronze differed in involucral bract coloration as plants of the         cultivar Mohave Autumn Bronze had dark orange-colored involucral         bracts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Bracteantha. This photograph shows the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Bracteantha. The photograph comprises a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘KLEBB05354’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Stuttgart, Germany during the winter and spring in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Bracteantha production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 22° C., night temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 18° C. and light levels ranged from 30,000 lux to 55,000 lux. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were grown in 12-cm containers and were about twelve weeks old when the photograph and description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Bracteantha bracteata cultivar KLEBB05354. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Bracteantha bracteata identified as code number V 117, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Bracteantha             bracteata, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at 20° C. to             22° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 14 days at 18° C. to             20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, summer.—About 16 days at             20° C. to 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, winter.—About 22 days at             18° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine to fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright, somewhat outwardly             spreading and uniform plant habit with dense foliage and             inflorescences held above the foliage on strong peduncles.             Moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 28 cm to 33 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 30 cm to 35 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching habit             with lateral branches developing potentially at every node;             pinching enhances lateral branch development. Length: About             5 cm to 12 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm to 4 mm. Internode             length: About 3 mm to 10 mm. Aspect: Mostly upright.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 137C.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple,             sessile. Length: About 10 cm. Width: About 1.5 cm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Cuspidate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; rough.             Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing foliage, upper             surface: 137B. Developing foliage, lower surface: 137D.             Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A; venation, 137A.             Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137D; venation, 137D. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Rotate composite inflorescence form with             lanceolate-shaped ray florets. Involucral bracts and disc             florets developing acropetally on a capitulum.             Inflorescences positioned above the foliage on strong             peduncles. Inflorescences face mostly upright. Freely             flowering habit; about two open inflorescences and about             three to five developing inflorescences per lateral branch;             about 24 developing and open inflorescences per plant.             Inflorescences persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Time to flower.—Early flowering habit; plants begin             flowering about 72 days after planting. Plants flower             throughout the summer in Germany.         -   Post-production longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about 12 to 14 days on the plant.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About             1 cm. Shape: Roughly conical. Color: 187B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 5 cm. Depth (height):             About 3 cm. Disc diameter: About 2 cm. Receptacle diameter:             About 2 cm. Receptacle height: About 5 mm.         -   Involucral bracts.—Shape: Lanceolate. Length, largest             bracts: About 8 mm. Width, largest bracts: About 3 mm. Apex:             Cuspidate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous; papery. Orientation: Flat to incurved. Number of             involucral bracts per inflorescence: About 100 in about five             whorls. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface:             185A; becoming closer to 45D with development. When opening             and fully opened, lower surface: 185A.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed in the center of the             receptacle. Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed.             Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Number of disc             florets per inflorescence: About 150. Color: Close to 17A.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 20. Length:             About 1 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Linear. Apex:             Acuminate. Base: Truncate, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 137A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Rough.             Color: 137D.         -   Reproductive organs (present on disc florets             only).—Androecium: Quantity per disc floret: Numerous.             Anther shape: Elliptic. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther             color: 21A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: 21C.             Gynoecium: Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: 23C. Style             color: 19D. Ovary color: 19D.         -   Seeds/fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Bracteantha have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Bracteanthas. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Bracteantha have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 4° C. to about     36° C. 

1. A new and distinct Bracteantha plant named ‘KLEBB05354’ as illustrated and described. 